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Purple Martin Identification. Overview; ID info; Life History; Maps; Sounds; Identification; Photo Gallery; Similar Species; Purple Martin Photos and Videos
Learn about Purple Martin (subis/arboricola): explore photos, sounds, and observations collected by birders around the world.
Learn about Purple Martin (hesperia): explore photos, sounds, and observations collected by birders around the world.
Purple Martin. Adult male. Photo: Agami Photo Agency/Shutterstock. At a Glance. Graceful in flight, musical in its pre-dawn singing, this big swallow is one of our most popular birds. Almost all Purple Martins in the east now nest in birdhouses put up especially for them.
In eastern North America during the summer, look for Purple Martins around martin houses, the miniature condominiums that many people put up in yards. The birds are more challenging to find in the West, where they nest in woodpecker holes in dead snags.
The Purple Martin is a colony-nesting species, readily using nest boxes with multiple compartments (more common in the east) or individual hollowed gourds strung close together (more common in the west). Purple Martins compete with House Sparrows and European Starlings for nesting sites.
Lifecycle and body size information about Purple Martin, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
